Pavelski’s late goal lifts Sharks past Wild

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San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, left, is greeted by teammate Joe Thornton (19) after scoring a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, in San Jose, Calif. Skating in is Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8). (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

SAN JOSE — Sharks forward Joel Ward and coach Pete DeBoer are just starting to see it firsthand. Logan Couture has been a witness for years.

Few NHL forwards are better in the clutch than Sharks captain Joe Pavelski.

Pavelski had two assists before he scored the go-ahead goal with 1:24 left in the third period as the Sharks defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday afternoon to continue their recent run of success at SAP Center.

Joe Thornton won a draw in the Wild’s defensive zone back to Pavelski, whose wrist shot got past Minnesota goalie Darcy Kuemper for Pavelski’s NHL-leading eighth game-winner of the season.

“I’ve been here with Pav for seven years now, and he’s done the same thing over and over again,” Couture said. “I’m used to it. I’m sure our fans are used to it.”

Of Pavelski’s Pacific Division-leading 23 goals this season, 11 have come in the third period, third-most in the NHL behind Dallas’ Jamie Benn and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.

Going into Sunday’s game against division-leading Los Angeles, the Sharks points streak is at eight games (7-0-1) as they took over sole possession of second place in the Pacific.

“Great players make great plays at the right time, and he’s one of those guys,” DeBoer said of Pavelski. “He thrives in those moments. He wants to be out there in those moments. That’s not an accident that happens to guys like that.”

Asked if he has felt stronger or more focused in the third period this season than in years past, Pavelski said: “From year to year it always changes. I think a year or two ago, a lot of them were in the first. Every year you have to look for things. That’s the kind of position we’ve been in at times.

“Early this season, a lot of them were on the road, too. It’s whatever. Third period, it’s big to score.”

Joonas Donskoi and Ward scored goals 1:38 apart in the second period to put the Sharks ahead 3-2, a lead they held until Wild forward Jarret Stoll scored with 7:50 left in the third period to tie the score.

When he scored, Pavelski was on his third shift since the Stoll goal and was on the ice for the final 49 seconds as the Sharks improved to 1-1 against the Wild this season.

The Sharks are 4-0-1 in their last five home games, accumulating almost as many points (nine) in that span as they did through their first 17 games at SAP Center (10). They are 9-12-1 at home this season.

“It’s an area we feel we could definitely be better,” Pavelski said of playing at home. “We’d play four or five road games and fly across country and show up (at home), and we just didn’t have it. We didn’t find that extra goal.

“Right now, we’ve really found lines that have brought a little extra gear to the game, and everyone has contributed. Everyone can feel it’s coming back a little bit.”

Martin Jones made 25 saves for his sixth straight win, and Tomas Hertl, with his first-period goal, has eight points in eight games.

Donskoi, after a stretch in which he had just six points in 17 games, picked up two more points Saturday and now has seven points in his last eight. With two games left before the All-Star break, Donskoi is the Sharks’ sixth-highest scoring forward with 20 points.

“I thought he was outstanding tonight, maybe one of the best players on the ice on either team,” DeBoer said of Donskoi. “He’s moving his feet, he’s attacking, he’s playing with confidence. I thought he was great.”

Thornton had two assists and is alone in 16th place on the NHL all-time assist list with 930. His eight-game point streak is his longest since the 2013-2014 season, when he also had points in eight straight.

Curtis Pashelka is the San Jose Sharks reporter for the Bay Area News Group. Prior to covering the Sharks, Curtis served as the high school sports editor for the East Bay. He also worked as a general assignment reporter covering motorsports, golf and college basketball, and as a backup writer on the A's, Giants and Warriors. He started at the organization in 2000 and spent close to eight years covering high school sports.